Dealing with debt

This refers to “Set right debt recovery tribunals” ( Business Line , November 15). It is time the loopholes in the functioning of debt recovery tribunals are addressed, as it delays recovery of loans by financial institutions. Though it is good to note that the Government has decided to computerise the tribunals, a lot more needs to be done. As the author has rightly pointed out, the tribunals should deal with applications in an expeditious manner, and try to dispose of the applications within 180 days of their receipt.

The author is right in saying that the delay is due to dilatory tactics of defaulting borrowers; administrative issues such as vacant positions of presiding officers and appellate authorities are accentuating the problem.

Delay in deciding on the cases reduces the value of assets such as buildings and machinery, affecting, in turn, the realisation value of assets mortgaged to banks. Banks then have to resort to legal action, which is a lengthy procedure.

T.S.N. Rao

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India and hygiene

I welcome the author’s initiative in writing the article “Are Indians by nature unhygienic’’ ( Business Line , November 16). Indians are certainly the most unhygienic people — irrespective of whether they are rich or poor, educated or uneducated, city or village dwellers. This is one habit that has no caste, creed or religious bias. It is time that, as a nation, we start tackling this menace.

V. Ravindran

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